NCAA Bracket 2012: Power-Ranking Every Tournament Coach

In the NBA, the players are the stars. In college basketball, the biggest star is ultimately the coach.

Players come and go, but the coach is responsible for building a program, bringing success and hopefully a championship.

As good as the players are, they need a coach that can properly assess the weaknesses of their opponents and get the most out of their own charges. They must be part-motivator, strategist, psychologist and lawyer.

It is a difficult challenge but those who strike the balance are rewarded with basketball immortality.

College basketball has some legendary figures standing on the sidelines for the 2012 NCAA basketball tournament. Some have already brought him the biggest championship of all and others look to be well on their way.

Nevertheless, when deciding who to pick this week, any prognosticator would take the time to play the role of the coach in this one-and-done roller coaster ride known as the Big Dance.

68. Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State)

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Sean Woods had one famous moment in the NCAA tournament; it just came as a player.

In the ultimate sports bar trivia, something that sports broadcasters will bring up 50 times during the game, Woods was the one who hit the go-ahead shot in the Kentucky-Duke classic game that Christian Laettner erased from the history books with his legendary shot at the buzzer.

Woods bounced around for awhile after his playing days were over. He ran a basketball camp and was an assistant coach before taking over Mississippi Valley State in 2008-09.

At 21-12, the Delta Devils are dancing and looking at provide some late-game drama like Woods experienced as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Unfortunately, Mississippi Valley State historically has little experience to draw upon—far less than their First Four opponent, Western Kentucky.

Woods can use his experiences to motivate his players and can game-plan fairly effectively.

However, with just four seasons of head coaching experience, this situation may be above everyone's heads.

66. Tim Cluess (Iona)

Cluess has worked his way up the ranks, starting his coaching career at the community college level and now finding NBA talent with Iona.

Cluess took over in 2010 and has done fairly well, surprising many when his team was selected over other teams like Drexel or Seton Hall this time around.

Since this is his debut to the Big Dance, it is hard to say how he will fare. In his postseason last year, Cluess and company made it to the final of the College Invitational Tournament, only to become runners-up.

Can he translate some of that knowledge and experience to the biggest stage in college basketball?

65. Ray McCallum (Detroit)

Overall Record: 218-203

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (0-2)

It seems odd to talk about Detroit basketball since the last time anyone really paid attention to the Titans, Dick Vitale was coaching them. In fact, the Horizon League champ has not made it to the Big Dance since 1999 and will have a tough road ahead of them this time around.

McCallum has been one of those vagabond coaches that have to scare you in power rankings. At Ball State he had some decent success, but flopped badly when he moved to the Houston Cougars.

After four years, McCallum took his 44-73 overall record with the Cougars and fell back to assistant ranks, where he worked alongside black-listed coach Kelvin Sampson.

He did, however, bring his son to the program and he has helped boost the talent level significantly (though the team record remains a meager 17-16). His son's 59 points in three days at the Horizon League tournament cannot help but give the team hope.

Despite some strides with Detroit, his credentials, with zero tournament victories, leave much to be desired.

64. John Becker (Vermont)

John Becker probably thought he would never be in this situation again.

As head coach of Gallaudet, Becker won six games in two years combined. The stigma of that kind of record can haunt any coach.

However, Becker found a landing spot at Vermont as the director of basketball operations and worked his way up. So much so that he went from being interim coach to head coach in 10 days last season.

He has not let the school down, becoming only the second coach in America East history to win the conference tournament in his first year as coach.

At 23-11, Vermont is dancing for the fifth time in nine years.

Unfortunately for Becker and company, it has been a long time since the Catamounts pulled off the upset of the tournament by defeating Syracuse in overtime. Taylor Coppenrath is 31 years old now, and Vermont will need more than a little luck in their draw if they want to make some noise this time around.

Give Becker the bounce back award, but a one-season blip is not enough yet to disguise some of his past disappointments.

63. Pat Knight (Lamar)

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Overall Record: 73-72

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1

Being the son of a legendary coach is a tall task.

Pat Knight wore out his welcome at Texas Tech, where he had one winning season in four years. However, he has found success at Lamar University in just his first year to make his NCAA tournament debut this week.

Considering that Knight's one famous moment this season prior to winning the Southland Conference was when he ripped apart his team in front of the media, this championship is even more impressive.

In fact, the Cardinals are 6-0 since the rant and used a 15-0 run in the first half and another run in the second half to take out McNeese State.

Still, despite the name recognition and the first 20-win at Lamar since 1988, Knight has much to prove when it comes to coaching credentials.

How will he fare in the NCAA tournament, and will his charges be able to handle the pressure?

That will go a long way in assessing Knight's future as a coach in college basketball.

61. Jimmy Patsos (Loyola, Md.)

Patsos is a well-known name in Maryland. The long-time assistant coach with the Terrapins left that program after winning the NCAA championship to try and turn around a dormant program.

Loyola was worse than being bad; they were irrelevant. They could not get people to show up or games broadcast on television.

After his first season of six wins, Patsos has progressively made this team better and now have the Greyhounds at 24-8 and MAAC champions.

While the entire state of Maryland rejoices in the underdog story, making the NCAA tournament is only one part of the equation.

This is, after all, a coach who took joy holding Stephen Curry to zero points while still losing by 30 to Davidson. He also has proven he could be a black history professor with his lessons he has been imparting throughout the years, including the Black Panthers in the MAAC championship game.

Making progress and learning history are good things but there is still a long road to go. One that, even Patsos concedes, will be bumpy come Thursday/Friday.

60. Anthony Evans (Norfolk State)

Evans has been with Norfolk State for most of his collegiate career and when he took over in 2007, he led the Spartans to their most successful stretch in school history.

Now that may sound good, until you hear that in his first four years he only had one winning season at 16-15.

Ouch.

Well, the pieces finally seem to be falling in place for Evans and the Spartans. Norfolk State captured the MEAC title and have some impressive victories over Long Island and Drexel, as well as a two-point loss to Marquette.

This is a dangerous team, one that deserves attention from their opponents.

Still, Evans has a tall task in front of him for his tournament debut. Can he inspire his Spartans to a big upset?

After five seasons, Norfolk State has come close to a big splash with close losses to Virginia, Marquette and other signature programs.

Until they break through, Evans will still be near the bottom of these power rankings.

59. Jim Ferry (LIU-Brooklyn)

The Blackbirds are one of the few teams from New York to make it to the Big Dance this year.

While teams like St. John's suffered, Ferry has brought his team to the tournament after building this program over the long haul.

Being able to use the available recruiting pipeline, Long Island University is a team that has some talent and stability on the sidelines. However, they are still a long way from being able to make a run in the tournament.

Do I think Ferry is a good coach? Sure, but compared to some of the others on this list, he will have to wait his turn.

57. Ed Biedenbach (UNC Asheville)

While Ed Biedenbach may not be the first name that comes to mind when someone lists coaches in the state of Carolina, he has to be one of the most loyal.

Biedenbach has spent nearly 30 years as a coach or assistant coach in the state of North Carolina. While his stint at Davidson was unsuccessful, he has built the Bulldog program at UNC-Asheville since 1996.

With his second straight Big South conference title, Biedenbach's Bulldogs are going to the tournament for the first time ever in consecutive seasons.

When the Bulldogs last year had to play in one of the dreaded First Four games, they were able take down Arkansas-Little Rock before losing 71-54 to No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh.

This time around the Bulldogs hope to build on last year's success, and they certainly have more experience all around to do just that. They also have a dangerous fast-paced style with sharpshooters that could scare anyone.

On the other hand, they have a coach who has never advanced to play the weekend in the NCAA tournament. He still has one tournament victory in 18 years coaching, including the NIT. Four times he has won a regular-season conference crown and failed to follow up and capture the tournament title.

Sure, Biedenbach is building a program to reckon with; it will just take him and his players more time before they take it to the proverbial "next level."

56. Scott Nagy (South Dakota State)

When Scott Nagy took over at South Dakota State, he was 29 years old and the Jackrabbits were a Division II program looking to make a name for itself.

Seventeen years later and the Jackrabbits have stolen headlines with their overtime victory against Western Illinois to capture their first-ever Summit title and NCAA tournament berth.

Nagy has become a legend at South Dakota State. Since taking over in 1995, he made eight NCAA tournaments in the course of nine years, including a run to the Elite Eight and compiling a winning percentage of over 70 percent.

That success moved the Jackrabbits toward Division I basketball, and a difficult transition was underway.

Nagy did not bolt when he had the chance, nor did the administration dump him after all those years of success. He built the program into a contender and finally a champion.

When you compile the overall record he has, winning just comes naturally. His pedigree and his accomplishments have made him a hero for this school.

Now he has seen a dream come true that many may never have imagined possible. At 27-7, the Jackrabbits are on the loose.

A team playing with nothing to lose is dangerous enough and a coach who is used to winning and postseason experience (albeit at a lower division) is an intriguing combination.

Still, Nagy has yet to ever break through in the postseason, despite his regular-season accolades. Is this the time?

55. Ray Harper (Western Kentucky)

Overall Record: 10-7

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1

Is there a more bizarre story in college basketball this season than the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.

After Ken McDonald was fired in the middle of January after a 5-11 start, assistant coach Ray Harper was thrown into the fire. Although he did not fare much better at first than his predecessor, Harper and his charges shockingly knocked off North Texas for the Sun Belt title.

As a result, even at 15-18, the Hilltoppers are one of the most unexpected teams to be dancing in the country.

While Western Kentucky has been 3-2 in its past two trips to March Madness, none of that happened with Harper at the helm.

Harper has impressive stints with Kentucky Wesleyan and the Oklahoma City Stars, with whom he won NCAA D-II and NAIA titles, respectively. He also pulled off the amazing ability to win four games in four days in the conference tournament. If only he could have done a tad bit better than 6-7 in the other 13 games.

Still, this is a new stage to Harper and, with only one senior on the roster, to his players as well.

Until we have more to go on, Harper has to be placed pretty low on the NCAA totem pole.

53. Tad Boyle (Colorado)

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Overall Record: 95-87

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1

Tad Boyle has been around success most of his career.

As a player, he was a senior captain with the Kansas Jayhawks when Danny Manning was a freshman and current Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was a sophomore. He played in two NCAA tournaments and bounced around as an assistant before Turgeon picked him up as an assistant at Wichita State.

After that Boyle coached at Northern Colorado and turned things around after a 4-24 start.

When Colorado needed a new coach, they found Boyle and although his numbers are not awe-inspiring, his Pac-12 title makes the Buffaloes happy they jumped ship to the West Coast.

Boyle inspired a tough group of kids to play their best when it mattered most. However, he did it in probably the weakest of the power conferences. Will Colorado be able to build on that late-season momentum?

If so it will require a major effort from a coach making his tournament debut. While he did navigate his team to the NIT semifinals in 2011, this is a whole different game.

He will no longer be dealing with disappointed or disinterested clubs. He must take down the best in the country.

52. Dave Rice (UNLV)

Dave Rice really does not give us a lot to go on when it comes to ranking coaches.

Rice has been around UNLV most of his life, first as a player for the 1990 NCAA championship team and then as an assistant for over a decade.

Still, we do not have much to go on since this is his first year as a head coach anywhere. Sure, the Runnin' Rebels picked up two impressive victories against Illinois and North Carolina this season, but will that early success translate in the Big Dance?

Rice's biggest accomplishment so far is getting boxer Mike Tyson to give a motivational speech to his players?

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Just like Rice's potential as a postseason coach, no one knows the answer. So for now, we have to wait and see if he can build on his regular-season accolades.

51. Steve Prohm (Murray State)

The media darling and Cinderella team is matched with an equally improbable coach.

At 37 years old, first-year head coach Steve Prohm is the seventh-youngest coach in all of Division I basketball.

His debut came after former coach Billy Kennedy bailed for a job at Texas A&M.

So how does the young kid do? Only the best start in school history, helping the Racers peak at No. 7 in the country at one point that was also a school record.

Murray State is a loaded team with depth, experience and size. That is a great combination for any coach to inherit. The Racers were 54-14 in the last two years with Kennedy, so Prohm has yet to prove how much of the success can be directly attributed to him versus his players.

Inexperience can be difficult for any coach.

Prohm was able to rally the troops in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game when it appeared they were going to be swept by Tennessee State. His victory over St. Mary's helped solidify their postseason prospects, and other young coaches like Shaka Smart and Brad Stephens prove that age is just a number.

Still, with all the pressure on them in the OVC, the Racers were shaky. How will they fare when that spotlight gets only brighter? Will Prohm be able to outsmart some of the best coaches in the country?

50. John Groce (Ohio)

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Overall Record: 83-55

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (1-1)

Clearly, Ohio University and John Groce do not seem to care much about the regular season.

In his four years, Groce has finished ninth, ninth, fifth and third in the MAC, respectively. Now while that does show improvement, it is somewhat shocking to discover that this is the second trip to the tournament in four years under Groce.

For whatever reason, the Bobcats simply know how to turn it on when it matters most.

Last time in, Ohio busted brackets everywhere by taking down Georgetown and making a name for itself.

Do you think Michigan is worried? Maybe they should be: Ohio is not their favorite state.

49. Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State)

Hoiberg is one of the better ex-players among the coaching ranks. The 10-year NBA veteran worked with the Minnesota Timberwolves before he came down to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones.

Hoiberg had a rather uneventful first season but put the program back on the map when his team defeated the mighty Kansas Jayhawks, 72-64, before an ESPN national audience. A regular-season victory over Baylor helped give the Cyclones the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 tournament.

With zero experience in the Big Dance, it is hard to know just how Hoiberg will do.

In five of the nine rematches Hoiberg's team played against Big 12 opponents, Iowa State improved. Either they won by more or they lost by fewer in the second go-around. In two of those exceptions, the margins of victory were so big that it was hard to repeat despite the fact that they swept the series.

That shows an ability to scout and regroup, but how will he do against a brand new opponent?

Odds are Hoiberg will need more time and experience to prepare his team for that challenge.

48. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)

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Overall Record: 303-142

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8 (1-7)

Gregg Marshall spent several years making the Winthrop Eagles a team of respectability. As the king of the Big South program, Winthrop went 194-83 in his nine seasons and made the NCAA tournament seven times.

Marshall had to deal with some NIT bids with the Shockers but finally broke through this season with a 27-4 record. Wichita State was ranked for the first time since 2006 in Mark Turgeon's final season with the program.

It was not the easiest road back, but Marshall has plenty of experience in the Big Dance for a mid-major coach. While his overall record is certainly not good, he has been precariously close to breaking through over the years.

In 2005, Winthrop led Gonzaga at the half before losing by 10.

One of the closest calls came in 2006 when Winthrop led virtually the entire game over Tennessee until Chris Lofton shot with 2.9 seconds left sank their hopes with a 63-61 loss.

The next season, Winthrop got its breakthrough victory over Notre Dame before falling in the second round to Oregon, which eventually went on to the Elite Eight.

Last season with the Shockers, Marshall and his team won the NIT. Using that experience and that talent, Marshall might finally have his own "Butler" or "VCU" moment with the Missouri Valley stalwart.

With only one 20-win season at Minnesota but a splashy Elite Eight appearance with Gonzaga, Monson has slowly built a strong Long Beach State program. A team, by the way, from the West Coast actually playing near the West Coast in this tournament.

People probably questioned the hire after a 38-56 start but now the Gauchos are dancing. With an astonishing 29-3 conference record the past two seasons, Monson may finally be able to shed the average label.

However to do that, he must improve upon a tournament record that includes zero victories since that historic run in 1999.

41. Tim Miles (Colorado State)

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Overall Record: 285-226

NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1

Tim Miles has had a long road toward this moment. For 12 seasons, Miles worked his way up the D-II ranks and brought North Dakota State up to Division I. In return he knocked off Wisconsin and Marquette in huge upsets early on. Those ranked upsets landed him the Colorado State job.

His reward? Two scholarship players from the season before.

Miles had to scrap just to field a team and suffered through a painful season when the Rams did not win a single conference game.

Colorado State continued to build its way up the Mountain West and culminated with big victories over San Diego State, New Mexico and UNLV. Three big victories over ranked teams have the Rams believing that this year may be their year.

Miles has shown his ability to win the big game, particularly on the road.

This seems like the stars may be aligned for a big splash.

Still, until it happens, a good feeling is more a pipe dream than reality.

39. Mick Cronin (Cincinnati)

Entering the Big East tournament, some wondered if Cincinnati might be flirting with the bubble.

They ended the week in the championship game and, even with a loss, are riding some momentum in March.

Cronin has Big East connections, being an assistant for both Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino before taking over for the Murray State Racers. After two tournament appearances, Cronin was tasked with trying to keep the Bearcats competitive in the Big East gauntlet.

Cronin got his team into the NCAAs last season before falling to Big East foe and eventual national champion Connecticut in the third round.

While his overall track record is still thin, Cronin has kept Cincinnati in the national discussion. Now what he needs is a good run to make the Bearcats roar once more.

33. Stan Heath (South Florida)

Every coach wants to make a splash like Stan Heath did with the Kent State Golden Flashes.

In his first season as a head coach, Heath led his team to an Elite Eight and finished the season 30-6.

The buzz instantly landed him a job in the SEC with the Arkansas Razorbacks, whom he slowly built back up. After winning just 21 games combined his first two seasons, Arkansas reeled off consecutive 20-win seasons at the end of his time.

Despite two straight NCAA tournament appearances, lack of progress and ticket sales resulted in Heath being fired, but he quickly found a job with the South Florida Bulls.

Competing in the Big East is no easy task, but the Bulls put together a 12-6 conference record and their third tournament bid in school history.

Heath is an interesting character because he does have a track record for progress. Yet, his tournament record peaked in just his first year.

Since that run he has not won a single game in the tourney and will have to play in to just make some noise this time around.

While he has great potential, Heath may be destined for good and not great.

32. Anthony Grant (Alabama)

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Overall Record: 139-63

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (1-2)

One of the rising stars in the coaching ranks has to be Anthony Grant. Before Shaka Smart took the VCU Rams to the Final Four, Grant was helping led the Colonial Athletic Association stalwart to a program-defining victory over Duke in the opening round of the 2007 NCAA tournament.

The former Florida assistant coach helped build the foundation that Smart was able to pull together toward an amazing run. After three 20-win seasons and three straight CAA regular-season titles, Grant returned to Alabama and the SEC.

The Crimson Tide turned things around quickly. Last year they came tantalizingly close to winning the NIT, and this year they made the Big Dance despite suspending some of their top players in the middle of the season.

Grant has accumulated a tremendous amount of talent at Alabama, and he appears to have the program in place for a big run in the years to come.

However, until Grant pulls off more than one victory in the tournament, his power ranking will suffer.

31. Mark Gottfried (NC State)

North Carolina State had a rough search when it looked for a new basketball coach.

Sidney Lowe had failed to produce in the regular season, and athletic director Debbie Yow failed to land some of the primary targets.

They settled on Mark Gottfried, a good coach that helped Alabama make five straight tournament appearances at one point. Gottfried resigned in the middle of the 2009 season after a key player departure and a team on the verge of missing the Big Dance for the third straight year.

Still, despite the bumps, Gottfried did something coach Lowe could not do and make the most of the Wolfpack front line.

A good record for Gottfried deserves mention, but his brash personality can rub opponents, recruits and even fans the wrong way.

Will he be able to keep his team focused in both the short and long term?

28. Tony Bennett (Virginia)

Being the son of a coach, people might have expected things to be handed to coach Tony Bennett.

After all, he played for his father Dick. Then he was an assistant for his father and took over Washington State when he retired.

Yet, the younger Bennett is making a mark all on his own following the principles of the "Pack-Line Defense." Perhaps no one maximizes talent more than this young man.

First he took the Cougars to the best two-year stretch since the 1940s.

Then he took over a Virginia program that had won 10 games the season before he arrived. It took some time to accumulate talent but this year he led the Cavaliers to the most regular-season wins since the Ralph Sampson era.

Oh yeah, he also had to do it with injuries, transfers and seven losses by three points or fewer.

Even with seven scholarship players left on the roster (one with a broken hand), Virginia came tantalizingly close to beating both North Carolina and Florida State in successive games.

The Cavaliers' defense is second in the country in points allowed and despite the lack of depth, they can be dangerous in this tournament.

27. Dave Rose (BYU)

After finishing in the top two of the Mountain West Conference for six straight seasons, everyone expected BYU to be the new sheriff in town in the West Coast Conference.

However, the transition was not quite as smooth for Dave Rose and company.

Still, the Cougars have been pouncing on competition.

With six straight appearances, Rose got BYU its first victory in the tournament in 17 years back in 2010. He backed it up with a Sweet 16 berth the following season.

While BYU stumbled into this year's tournament, it has a great coach who is building a dangerous program. Never has Rose won fewer than 20 games in seven seasons, and six straight 25-win seasons provide a blueprint for postseason glory.

26. Buzz Williams (Marquette)

He sweats more than his players, he dances on opposing courts when he hears "Country Roads" playing, and he flops around like a Duke defensive player.

Perhaps it is that eccentric behavior that makes people forgot about him when ranking coaches. Williams took over Marquette and had to deal with the difficult Big East marathon.

Instead he has put together four NCAA tournament appearances and an impressive Sweet 16 bid despite finishing ninth in the conference last season.

Williams has a bevy of talent and the experience to finally help push them through to a big run in 2012. Despite the difficult road the selection committee gave them, you can expect that Williams is one of the few coaches that can deal with that pressure.

24. Matt Painter (Purdue)

Matt Painter had a tough job trying to replace the legendary Gene Keady with the Boilermakers.

His reward has been a slue of injuries over the years, despite constantly bringing in talent Purdue seems to get hurt at the wrong time of year.

We all know about the trials and tribulations of Robbie Hummel whose injuries kept Purdue from truly reaching its full potential the past few years.

Yet the Boilermakers and Painter have not made excuses, six straight 20-win seasons and counting. Even with one of the most inexperienced teams around, Purdue rebounded in the toughest conference in America late in the season to earn a spot in the Big Dance.

Painter's next step will be to continue to make a dent in the postseason. This program should be ready for a Final Four run and, while this year may not be the time, Painter is certainly the man to do it.

22. Leonard Hamilton (Florida State)

Give coach Leonard Hamilton credit. It is hard enough trying to find success on the hardwood at a football school.

It is even more difficult when you have to compete with the blue bloods of North Carolina and Duke. Their dominance of the ACC is almost laughable.

Yet Hamilton not only captured the first conference tournament crown in school history, he beat both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels to do it. In fact, he did it on consecutive days.

Florida State has grown more and more under Hamilton, establishing itself at the highest tier of the ACC power pyramid.

Hamilton has changed the culture and expectations, and he looks to be on the verge of a big season.

Last year's run was cut short by the Cinderella VCU Rams, whose last-second stop gave the Seminoles a loss in the Sweet 16. It was the only game VCU played in the first five where their power conference opponent gave them a run for their money.

That was as a No. 10 seed; as a No. 3 seed, expect Florida State to be one of the more dangerous teams around. The Seminoles play defense, have cold-blooded shooters and an experienced center who can push around any competition.

Not to mention they were 4-1 against the royal teams of Carolina this season.

19. Mark Few (Gonzaga)

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Overall Record: 342-89

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 13 (13-12; 4 Sweet 16s)

Death, taxes and Gonzaga basketball.

These are three constants in sports.

Gonzaga used to be a small program in Spokane, Washington, that no one had ever heard of. The Bulldogs were the original mid-major Cinderella when they knocked out No. 2 seed St. John's in the second round of the 2000 NCAA tournament to everyone's chagrin.

Even after everyone expected the Bulldogs to just fade away back into obscurity, they kept coming back and forced the nation to take them seriously.

Few and his Bulldogs rewrote the book of expectations for a mid-major program. Their success paved the way for other schools like George Mason, Butler and VCU to shock the basketball world.

In fact, Gonzaga reached a No. 3 seed in 2006 after a 27-3 record.

However, despite all of this and the fact that Few won 81 games in his first three years. Gonzaga has been unable to break through.

All the other mid-majors I mentioned have something the Bulldogs do not: a Final Four.

Gonzaga has never gone past the Sweet 16, losing to North Carolina, UCLA, Michigan State and Purdue over the years.

While none of those are bad losses, the Bulldogs simply cannot translate their regular-season dominance into big victories in March.

Until Few can finally take his team to the next level, his ranking will suffer.

18. John Thompson III (Georgetown)

With a name like John Thompson, success at Georgetown should come as a given.

Replacing John Thompson II was no easy task. In the six years after the legendary coach quit midseason, the Hoyas had one NCAA tournament appearance.

Under his son, Georgetown has found its groove once more with six appearances in the past seven years.

Thompson took the Ivy League swagger of the Princeton offense and got big, physical players to come in and commit to it. The dividends paid off early when Georgetown defeated No. 1 ranked Duke in his second season.

It was the team's first victory over the top-ranked team in 21 years.

Thompson has restored the luster to Georgetown and with a Final Four appearance under his belt, he has proven he not only can handle living in his father's shadow but can make a name for himself.

Nevertheless, Georgetown is shooting for even more under Thompson. In the past four seasons, Georgetown has been unable to get out of the first weekend.

Failing to live up to expectations in the postseason is simply not an option for a Thompson. It's something he will try to rectify this time around.

Their hard-nosed defense and selfless work ethic make every team scared to take on the boys from Madison.

In fact, Wisconsin has posted an awe-inspiring home record. It simply has not translated that regular-season success into postseason glory.

Ryan's team seems to be a recipe for success with limiting turnovers, playing physical and rebounding. He even took over a team that had just gone to the Final Four under "Mr. Pack Line Defense," Dick Bennett.

Yet, Ryan still waits to reach the Final Four. He has not advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2002.

Even though his winning percentage with the Badgers is second only to North Carolina's Roy Williams, until he takes his team to the final weekend, Ryan still has work left to do.

Smart made headlines in Virginia earlier this year when he claimed the CAA has had the best teams in the Commonwealth over the past few years. This call out of Virginia and Virginia Tech is not only fair, but bold.

His confidence rubs off on his players, and their effort level is one of the best in the country. Everybody respects what Smart has done in a limited time, and hundreds of programs would dump their coach in a second to give this guy a chance.

14. Mike Montgomery (California)

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Overall Record: 635-290

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 15 (17-14; 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Final Four)

On the West Coast, in the abysmal Pac-12, it is easy to forget about Mike Montgomery.

The former Stanford coach has built quite the career for himself in the state of California. With over 600 victories and 15 tournament appearances, Montgomery is one of the more successful coaches of his era.

He famously led the Stanford Cardinal to a 30-1 record before losing in the second round of the 2004 NCAA tournament to everyone's shock.

Despite the talent he has brought in and the three 30-win seasons near the end of his time with the Cardinal, he simply could not translate that success into a championship.

As for Cal, Montgomery has made the most of a down conference with three appearances in four years. While he has yet to escape the first weekend, the Golden Bears have a savvy coach and plenty of experience to make some noise.

12. Thad Matta (Ohio State)

Sometimes a team is simply too young, injuries pile up, or bad luck just gets in the way.

Well, Thad Matta is not one for excuses.

After 12 seasons as a head coach, Matta has never had a losing season. In fact, he has never won fewer than 20 games in a single season.

Matta made a splash when he knocked off the Fighting Illini in his first season as the Buckeye head coach. Illinois was undefeated at the time and it was their only regular-season loss of the entire season.

Then Matta brought in a guy named Greg Oden, and the Buckeyes were just one win away from being champions in just his second year on the job.

Still, despite a 217-63 record with the Buckeyes, Ohio State has not advanced past the Sweet 16 since that 2007 season.

Late losses to Tennessee and Kentucky have added to Matta's SEC woes in the past two seasons, but he still seems like one of the more likely candidates to finally break through and win a national championship.

11. Steve Fisher (San Diego State)

Rarely do coaches get a second career like San Diego State's Steve Fisher. In fact, they rarely get the first career like Fisher did.

Fisher was the ring leader of the Fab Five at Michigan but he only got his chance when Michigan's athletic director and legendary football coach Bo Schembechler decided to oust Bill Frieder after it was announced he was taking the Arizona State job the following season.

That left interim coach Steve Fisher to coach the Wolverines once they entered the NCAA tournament.

In return, Fisher, along with Glen Rice, powered Michigan to a national championship, and the miracle worker had a job.

Fisher's good luck turned into some agonizing losses with the Fab Five in the years to come but he was still 185-81 during his time at Michigan.

However, after scandals involving gambling, complimentary tickets and money under the table with a man named Ed Martin surfaced, Fisher lost his job and led to NCAA violations.

Fisher landed in San Diego State and has continued to build a winning program.

After winning just five games his first year there, Fisher has seven straight seasons of 20 wins or more.

When it comes to the NCAA tournament, experience matters. A coach has to be able to handle the nerves as much as the kids.

His experience and success make Fisher one of the diamonds in the rough in this tournament.

10. Bill Self (Kansas)

Bill Self's career did not start out the way many would hope. He took over an Oral Roberts team that had won a school-low five victories in an entire season. As the man charged with the task of turning it around, Self did improve the team—by one game.

Before long though, Self had them winning again and even managed a 20-win season by his fourth year.

Self has worked his way up the ladder, building programs and dealing with the pressure of coaching at both Illinois and Kansas.

Replacing one of the biggest winners like Roy Williams is no small task, but he was able to do something his predecessor could not at Kansas: win a title.

Self is not a coach that puffs his chest or tries to steal the show. Yet, no coach in the history of basketball has won more games in a five-year stretch than Self did from 2006-2011 with the Jayhawks.

Despite the Big 12 dominance and a home record of 144-7 at one point, Kansas has one Final Four in eight years.

With that kind of regular-season dominance, we selfishly expect even a bit more from Self. Especially when we are up to the Mount Rushmore of coaches.

Still, with his credentials, hundreds of coaches would die to have the career Self has already made for himself.

9. Bob Huggins (West Virginia)

The NCAA tournament just can't say no to Bob Huggins. In the past 20 years, Huggins has been in the Big Dance 19 times and won at least one game 16 times.

Huggins has built programs for the long haul, producing some absolutely loaded teams with big, physical stars.

Yet, despite all the success, Huggins has still failed to produce that one thing people look for: a championship.

He has been tantalizing close, and sometimes injuries have derailed him. While this West Virginia team is one of the weakest teams in recent memories for Huggins, there is little reason to doubt that he will have them playing at their best, come opening tip.

He is a master motivator and a strong-willed coach. His recent Final Four trip proved that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

8. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)

Boeheim has been an institution at Syracuse, compiling the third-most victories all-time in college basketball.

While looking at his track record, one cannot help but awe at what he has been able to do year in and year out.

In 36 seasons, Boeheim has missed the NCAA tournament only seven times, with one of those from a NCAA ban.

In one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, Boeheim has one losing season in the conference since joining in 1979. Oh yeah, that was also the season Syracuse won the Big East tournament despite being the No. 9 seed.

Boeheim has been a paragon of success, so it is surprising to see only one national championship on the list.

There's been three championship appearances for the Orange but it took a combination of experience and youthful talent in freshman Carmelo Anthony to finally break through with the trophy in 2003.

Boeheim has proven his ability to weave through the difficult NCAA tournament minefield. Yet, he has also had some historic losses, notably to Richmond in 1990.

It was the first time in history a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed.

Those losses come with the territory when you coach so many years, but Boeheim knows that one more championship run could catapult him even higher on the list.

7. Rick Pitino (Louisville)

There's really no denying the legend of Rick Pitino. Even though he has been coaching since 1975, at age 59 he has proven that he can handle the pressures of new eras and new programs.

Pitino stole the hearts of Kentucky fans in eight seasons, leaving at the pinnacle of college basketball with a combined record of 69-7 in his final two seasons.

While his tenure with the Boston Celtics has been infamously seared in our memories, Pitino has rebounded with a Louisville program that has three Elite Eights in 10 seasons.

As good as he has done, Pitino's ballclub still has had some unexpected sputters in recent years. In this season, Louisville had one stretch where it lost five of seven games and another one where it lost four of six games to end the regular season.

Louisville also has unexpectedly underperformed the past two seasons in the NCAA tournament. Last year the Cardinals were outplayed by 13th-seeded Morehead State that was crushed by Richmond in the second round.

The year before they lost to Cal and in 2009 they reached the Elite Eight despite not playing a team better than a No. 9 seed before losing to Michigan State.

Is this nit-picking? Of course. Being in the Big East will make any team lose a stretch of games and upsets happen all the time.

However, in power rankings, even the smallest setbacks make a big difference when we get to the legendary coaches.

6. Billy Donovan (Florida)

When you think about Billy Donovan, you obviously think about the back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.

For good reason too, those rings put Donovan's name on the map and even made him the coach of the Orlando Magic, albeit for a day.

Yet, looking at the overall arc of his career and Donovan's legacy seems more impressive.

Florida is known for its talent and prestige...in football. When it comes to Gator basketball, Donovan basically wrote the book.

Yes when Donovan took over in 1996, Florida was two years removed from the Final Four. However, the team had fallen on hard times and in just his third year the Gators were going to the Sweet 16 for only the third time in school history.

That's right: Donovan has led the Gators to three more Sweet 16s that Florida had achieved in all the years before him.

Donovan, like the Gators, always seems to fly under the radar. In all three of Florida's championship appearances, the national media was looking at many other teams before considering the SEC stalwart.

In 2000 they were a No. 5 seed, their first championship came as a No. 3 seed and although they were a No. 1 seed when they repeated, most expected Ohio State with Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. to claim the crown.

Florida simply handles its business and finds ways to win on the biggest of stages. Just like this year's version, they are not always flashy but they are productive.

5. John Calipari (Kentucky)

Kentucky coach John Calipari is a slick guy. When you listen to him talk, it sounds like he is selling you a used car at a great bargain.

Yet the man has produced at every single school he has gone to, even if controversy inevitably follows.

Calipari should be nicknamed "The Miracle Worker" because he has taken three different programs to the Final Four. He is the only coach in NCAA history to get three schools to a No. 1 seed.

Whether it was at UMass, Memphis or Kentucky, Calipari has brought some of the best players in the country with him. More importantly, he is able to win with them.

Even with a ridiculous formula of bringing in five one-and-done phenoms and praying, Calipari nearly willed Kentucky to a NCAA championship last year behind an inexperienced group.

Which reminds us that despite all his success, Calipari still has one big hole on his list of accomplishments. Despite three Final Fours and six 30-win seasons in the past seven years, Calipari has never won a national championship.

Oh, he has come close. In 2008 his Tigers led with just minutes to go but were unable to seal the deal at the charity stripe.

After Mario Chalmers of Kansas hit a running miracle shot to force overtime, Calipari was left still chasing that elusive ring.

Calipari has been a gold standard for success, and his ability to bring his show from program to program is historic. Yet, his one deficiency is the biggest a tournament coach can have.

3. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut)

When he won the national championship last year, he placed himself in some elite company and truly made his case for one of the greatest coaches in basketball history.

Connecticut has produced quality NBA talent and Big East crowns, but Calhoun has made his career with strong showing in the tournament.

He is a perfect 3-0 in the championship game, taking on iconic programs Duke, Georgia Tech and Kentucky to achieve it.

He never backed into anything and although his health may be deteriorating, which makes him all the more dangerous in 2012.

It seems clear that these players are willing to buy in and give everything for a legend that may be coaching his final season of college basketball. While it is difficult for any team to repeat, especially one whose star player is off in the NBA now, Connecticut has more than enough talent to make a run this time around.

2. Roy Williams (North Carolina)

Perhaps no one has produced more success than Roy Williams in the modern era.

At Kansas and North Carolina, Williams has put together one of the most staggering win-loss records in coaching history.

Williams not only can recruit NBA talent, but he wins with it. He has to deal with pressure that only a handful of coaches can truly fathom.

Success with the Tar Heels is not measured by how many wins but how many championships a coach brings home, and Williams has already reeled in two since joining North Carolina in 2003.

Williams is a measure of consistency, missing the NCAA tournament only twice in his career (and one of those times his team was ineligible due to violations).

He has withstood the pressure cooker of two of the biggest programs in the sport and has thrived. He rarely falters on the big stage and will not let his team stumble early. Only twice since 2000 has his team not reached the Sweet 16 when reaching the Big Dance.

His success makes him not only a worthy candidate on this list, but a legend.

1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)

You do not become the all-time winningest coach in college basketball for nothing.

Love him or hate him, Coach K is an icon for a reason and he has found success at every level.

When he took over Duke, no one knew if the Blue Devils could compete with Dean Smith and the Tar Heels. He took his lumps early on in the ACC, but now has built the program into one of the signature programs in all of sports.

Since 1984, Duke has only lost 10 games or more twice. By comparison, Kansas has five seasons of 10 losses or more since 1984, three of them from Roy Williams. Kentucky has seven since 1999.

Coach K has certainly been able to recruit talent but most importantly he has won with it. This year goes to show just how well he can maximize talent. A team full of inexperience and shallow depth on the inside, Duke is still a top-10 program with aspirations of a national championship.

Duke is consistently one of the scariest programs in the country. Even non-sports fans know about the Cameron Crazies and the Blue Devil tradition. Slapping the floor may grate people's nerves but their talent and effort are hard to match.

With four championships, Coach K is the active leader and a living legend. His success with the men's Olympic team, particularly when you consider the mediocrity that preceded him, only goes to show his ability to manage talent.

When the Los Angeles Lakers offered Coach K the opportunity to jump ship and he said no, people learned that he will be a Blue Devil for life.

He will finish second only to coach John Wooden as the greatest basketball coach of all time.

Not bad for a scrawny kid with an impossible to pronounce name from Army.